PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Despite having a tough day on the links, the No. 15 St. Mary's University Men's Golf team advances to its first-ever NCAA Championship Medal Match Play with its seventh-place finish in stroke play.
The Rattlers tallied 874 (279-293-302/+10) strokes over the 54-hole tournament, matching their total from the Lone Star Conference Championship. StMU faces West Florida in the quarterfinals of match play. The teams will tee off every 10 minutes beginning at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday. The two teams were in the same trios during the final 18 holes of stroke play.
As they did at the West/South Central Regional, top-ranked Colorado Christian saved its best day for day three, coming in at eight-under over the final 18 holes to win the stroke play title at 856 (291-285-280/-8), jumping three spots up the leaderboard.
West Florida remained in second place, finishing at 858 strokes, while Missouri S&T (863), Florida Southern (866), North Georgia (867), and Wingate (869) finished ahead of the Rattlers. Lone Star Conference foe Oklahoma Christian (875) locked down the final advancing spot, moving up five spots on the last day.
Freshman
Elijah Galvan (Austin, Texas) was the only Rattler to climb the leaderboard on the final day of stroke play, moving up into a tie for 77th place after matching his second round with a 74. Galvan finished the 54 holes with 229 strokes (81-74-74/+13), and he tied for fourth among all golfers with 38 pars over the three days.
Freshman
Guillaume Paquette (La Minerve, Quebec) narrowly missed finishing in the top 10, tying for 11th place with his three-day total of 214 (69-71-74/-2). He was one of only 18 golfers in the 114-player field to end stroke play under par.
Junior
Baptiste Touchard (Saint-Agathon, France) finished tied for 26th place with 218 strokes (68-72-78/+2). Sophomore
Philip Hallström (Gävle, Sweden) matched his final round score of 78, placing in a tie for 71st place after collecting 228 strokes (74-76-78/+12).
Junior
Kongpop Kaikaew (Rayong, Thailand) bettered his Tuesday output by one stroke, carding a 76 on day three to end in a tie for 40th place (68-77-76=221/+5).
None of the golfers in the field shot subpar rounds on all three days. Paquette and Touchard were two of 15 to beat the course twice.
Hunter Smith from North Georgia takes home individual medalist honors, finishing at 210 (71-67-72/-6).
In the match play quarterfinals on Thursday, Galvan will face Eddie Lee, Kaikaew will go against Per Ekelund, Hallstrom and Fabian Wennerlof will tee off third, Touchard and Cooper Tendick will square off, and Paquette will take on TJ Thompson.
Kaikaew and Ekelund are the only tandem who were paired together during the final round of stroke play.
In the other quarterfinals, Missouri S&T will face Wingate at 6:30 a.m., beginning on hole 10, while Colorado Christian and Oklahoma Christian will begin at 7:20 a.m. from hole one and Florida Southern and North Georgia will start from hole 10 at 7:20 a.m.
NCAA Championships Stroke Play • May 19-21, 2025
PGA National Resort • Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
